Maintain Car Routines During Winter Weather

This time of year your car goes through a lot. The windshield gets scraped off every morning. It has to drive through slushy roads and gets covered in sand and salt. You spill your coffee on the floor boards… the list of what you’re car deals with on a daily basis goes on and on. These little common facts of life can be tough on the appearance of your car. Here are some things you can do to help protect your investment:

Your car can't exactly speak to you like this, but keeping it clean during the winter is a good choice.

Wash it Well (and Frequently)

Your car’s paint is fairly delicate despite what you might think. It is important to keep it clean and waxed. Whenever grime builds up, you’re just asking for rust issues, scratching, or other forms of damage. Even if you keep your vehicle in a garage, the harsh chemicals kicked up from the roads when you’re driving are still bad for your car. Make sure when you’re washing your car, you are careful to use quality products and dry it thoroughly.

Spot Clean

Today’s little splash of spilled coffee turns into tomorrow’s smelly, brown, hard to remove stain. The sooner you attempt to remove the stains, the more likely you are to clean the area as good as new. I know it is cold and spending time outside or in your garage scrubbing out a stain sounds like a horrible option, but you’ll be thankful you did it later.

Treat the Vinyl & Leather

Even though you don’t notice them as much during this time of year, UV rays are still coming down and causing damage to the interior of your car. It’s important to maintain the inside materials by cleaning and moisturizing them. The blistering heat of summer tends to be when we think of protecting our cars, but the truth is, winter sun can be damaging and harsh as well.

Just because it is cold and cruising down back roads isn’t on your top ten list of things to do, you should keep your car’s appearance up. Do little routine things for your car that you don’t mind doing during the summer now as well. You spend a lot of money purchasing your vehicle–make sure you’re protecting your investment by taking a few simple steps periodically.